Housebuilders must ‘sell themselves’ to recruit new workers!

Apparently, housebuilders must ‘sell themselves’ to young, potential workers if they are to help solve the industry skills shortage.

Overall, the housebuilding sector has been branded a “potential time bomb” in terms of its workforce. To tackle this, it has been suggested that there needs to be a stronger relationship between industry businesses and primary schools. This is to ensure that young people are aware of the opportunities on offer to them. It will also help raise awareness of the needs of the industry. This could apparently be done via the integration of construction businesses within school governing bodies.

David Williams, the managing director of Bellway Homes, stated: “all construction companies have a mission to recruit apprentices.”

“We have not sold ourselves to schools very well, we’re not seen as glamorous but [the industry] is actually very well paid and it isn’t just site based.”

“There are lots of jobs in the office too – not just bricklayers and joiners.”

“We’ve also been very poor at taking girls on but we’re trying to be better at doing that.”